McFadden trucking, Jones not ?

DALLAS — Both of Arkansas’ 1, 000-yard rushers were in the news Thursday as the Razorbacks held their first practice for Tuesday’s Cotton Bowl.

A report by KARK-TV, Channel 4, in Little Rock claimed that Arkansas junior tailback Darren McFadden was present when sports agent Mike Conley recently purchased a Cadillac Escalade, which the station said was put in the name of McFadden’s mother, Mini Muhammad.

University of Arkansas officials would not comment on the accuracy of the report.

“We’re aware of the report,” said Kevin Trainor, Arkansas associate athletic director for external affairs. “The situation is under review.” Muhammad, reached at her home in Little Rock, said neither she nor her son owned the Escalade.

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“Mike Conley hasn’t bought nothing, and it ain’t in my name,” Muhammad said. “It’s his stepmom’s, Ella McFadden’s. Really, the truck is on loan. Darren drove that down [to Dallas ] to see how he’d like it, and maybe he’d get one later.

“ They got that all wrong. Darren doesn’t have no truck.” Conley, a former track and field All-American at Arkansas, told KARK on Thursday night that he was not at a car dealership with McFadden and that he hadn’t negotiated a deal.

“That is 100 percent a lie,” Conley told the station. “I would challenge anybody to say that I have ever been at a dealership with Darren McFadden.” Though it is considered a foregone conclusion that McFadden will enter the NFL Draft as an underclassman this winter, he has yet to acknowledge that move.

Junior Felix Jones seemed to indicate Thursday that he might be leaning toward a return for his senior season at Arkansas.

Asked at the Razorbacks’ Cotton Bowl media day if he had thought about whether he would declare early for the NFL Draft, Jones replied: “I want to be a Razorback.” Asked if that meant he would definitely be returning for his senior season, Jones repeated: “I want to be a Razorback.” Jones earned All-America honors as a return specialist his freshman and junior seasons and has rushed for at least 1, 000 yards, along with McFadden, the past two seasons.

Jones and McFadden are the first set of running backs in SEC history to have 1, 000-yard seasons in back-to-back years, and the pair set a single-game record with 487 combined rushing yards in a 48-36 victory over South Carolina. Red Herring Arkansas interim coach Reggie Herring hesitated before donning a 10-gallon Western hat during the Fox Sports welcome event Wednesday night.

Then he looked at his players, who were already laughing and hooting, and said: “I’ll see you guys bright and early in the morning.” Herring was participating in an annual Cotton Bowl tradition in putting on the big cowboy hat, which Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel had already done at the welcome event.

Herring, known for his off-the-cuff wit, added “Now I know how Hoss Cartwright felt,” referring to the character on the long-running show Bonanza. Emert alert Junior quarterback Nathan Emert will not return to the Razorbacks next season.

Emert has accepted a position as the worship pastor at the Church of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

“I’m really excited about it,” Emert said. “I actually get licensed to go into the ministry on Jan. 6, so I’m starting right away.” Emert is married to the former Shannon Lee, daughter of Arkansas offensive coordinator David Lee, who will join Houston Nutt on the Ole Miss coaching staff after the Cotton Bowl. Injury update Arkansas defensive tackle Marcus Harrison sat out Thursday’s work with pinkeye. Arkansas interim Coach Reggie Herring said he expected the senior to be ready to play by Tuesday.

Fellow defensive tackle Fred Bledsoe, also affected by pinkeye missed parts of Thursday’s work at SMU.

For Missouri, strong safety Pig Brown (ruptured Achilles tendon ) and receiver Danario Alexander (torn anterior cruciate ligament ) are out for the Cotton Bowl. Worth noting Visitors at Arkansas’ Thursday practice at SMU included Red Henderson and Larry Dixon and various SMU personnel. Henderson, who played under Frank Broyles while lettering from 1958-60, lives in Texas. Dixon worked in coaching and administration under Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield and is employed by the NFL.